"Interstate Travel" - September 3, 2021

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
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RichA2
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2020 4:22 pm

#381

Post by RichA2 »

iggystan wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 10:11 am
hoover wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:14 am I ... did not even SEE the Indie Anna, etc. I saw FUN NET TIC = PHONETIC immediately since they were numbered/called out. Then SIOUX PER JAI WEIGH just popped out at me. I thought it was an overly simple mechanism so I was a little bit worried, but now I see that it was overly simple because I skipped step 2 and went straight from step 1 to step 3.
Definitely this!

After reading some of the comments, I thought I got PAGEANT’d, but as mentioned above, I skipped a step.
Me too.I didn’t see the phonetic state names at all, but went right to the SUPERHIGHWAY entrance.
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TeaJenny
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Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 11:44 am
Location: Stamford, CT

#382

Post by TeaJenny »

I briefly got hung up on trying to make PIECE RATE, ALTMAN, PLAY DOH, LESSORS, IBEXES, and EMMA STONE yield something phonetically before I noticed ILL - ANNOY and INDIE - ANNA (my mind went to Jones first, rather than the state). After that, the other states appeared, and putting the answers between them together revealed the answer. Good fun!

Happy Birthday to @Wendy Walker and @MaineMarge!
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis
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BarbaraK
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Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:37 pm
Location: Virginia

#383

Post by BarbaraK »

PENCIL VANE YAW

TECHS SASS

TENNIS SEA
RichA2
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2020 4:22 pm

#384

Post by RichA2 »

Is the word “superhighway,” meaning a limited access highway, still in common use? I can’t recall the last time I heard it. I usually just refer to the interstate (or to the freeway when I am in California). Even the early internet-era term “information superhighway” seems dated.

I suspect that only those of us born before the mid-1950s fully appreciate the changes that the superhighways brought about: the greatly reduced travel times between cities, the easier commutes from suburbs to downtowns, and the resulting dislocations in both urban and rural life. To those riding on the then-new (and often partially completed) interstates, free from the slowdowns caused by stoplights and small town main streets, the term “superhighway” seemed about right.
Barney
Posts: 797
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2020 4:12 pm

#385

Post by Barney »

MaineMarge wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 8:07 am 9D6253F2-66BD-4E34-A3A8-F15CBE474AB5.jpeg

Happy birthday @Wendy Walker and @MaineMarge ! Yes, Wendy and I share this Sept 6 birthday. Such extra fun! I’m hitting a big one today. Not telling, but here are some clues:
1. “Help! _ _ _ _ me!””
2. Air outlet _ _ _ _
3. Come for _ _ _ at 4pm
4. Small flutelike instrument _ _ _ _. 🤫
(TMI). I’ll leave it to Wendy to spill her own beans.
Took me a minute till I realized that the last answer is a namesake of mine.
RobM
Posts: 173
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2020 6:29 pm
Location: Fairfax County, Virginia

#386

Post by RobM »

Upstater wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:53 am How many other state clues could there be? I rather like AURA-GONE.
Limiting it to two-part clues, to fit the format of the puzzle:

MINI SODA
WHY HOMING
OGLE HOMER (a stretch, I admit)
MRS HIPPIE
FLORA DUH
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SReh26
Posts: 763
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:48 pm

#387

Post by SReh26 »

RobM wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:43 am
Upstater wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:53 am How many other state clues could there be? I rather like AURA-GONE.
Limiting it to two-part clues, to fit the format of the puzzle:

MINI SODA
WHY HOMING
OGLE HOMER (a stretch, I admit)
MRS HIPPIE
FLORA DUH
LOUIE- SEA- ANNA
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Bob cruise director
Cruise Director
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:38 pm
Location: Any golf course within 500 miles of Littleton MA

#388

Post by Bob cruise director »

RichA2 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:40 am Is the word “superhighway,” meaning a limited access highway, still in common use? I can’t recall the last time I heard it. I usually just refer to the interstate (or to the freeway when I am in California). Even the early internet-era term “information superhighway” seems dated.

I suspect that only those of us born before the mid-1950s fully appreciate the changes that the superhighways brought about: the greatly reduced travel times between cities, the easier commutes from suburbs to downtowns, and the resulting dislocations in both urban and rural life. To those riding on the then-new (and often partially completed) interstates, free from the slowdowns caused by stoplights and small town main streets, the term “superhighway” seemed about right.
Absolutely agree. My grandparents drove from upstate NY to Florida on Route 1. That sounds romantic but getting stuck in every small town, going 45 and then getting stuck behind a convoy of military vehicles which topped out at 45 mph got old in a hurry. Instead of a 20 mile drive being a day trip, it became just running errands.
Bob Stevens
Cruise Director
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SReh26
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Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:48 pm

#389

Post by SReh26 »

WASH- INN- TON

NOR - THE - DECODE- DUH
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Gman
Posts: 349
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:47 pm
Location: Encinitas CA

#390

Post by Gman »

Clue: Catholic Faux Pas? MASSACHOO

Clue: Cantor's Math Discipline. SETS

of course, the MASSACHOO would have given it all away. But it would have been funny nonetheless, and certainly made the grid hard. Plus there would be no room for a middle word in a 15 x 15 grid.
JetStream
Posts: 86
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2021 3:56 pm

#391

Post by JetStream »

Nice puzzle and very clever. I wasn't even close. Although I started piecing together a few state names I gave up quickly. This one was interesting though and I wish I would have kept at it a little longer.
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Deb F
Posts: 393
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:02 pm
Location: Hilton Head Island

#392

Post by Deb F »

Barney wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:43 am
MaineMarge wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 8:07 am 9D6253F2-66BD-4E34-A3A8-F15CBE474AB5.jpeg

Happy birthday @Wendy Walker and @MaineMarge ! Yes, Wendy and I share this Sept 6 birthday. Such extra fun! I’m hitting a big one today. Not telling, but here are some clues:
1. “Help! _ _ _ _ me!””
2. Air outlet _ _ _ _
3. Come for _ _ _ at 4pm
4. Small flutelike instrument _ _ _ _. 🤫
(TMI). I’ll leave it to Wendy to spill her own beans.
Took me a minute till I realized that the last answer is a namesake of mine.

Happy Birthday, you two awesome Muggles!
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mikeB
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:50 pm

#393

Post by mikeB »

What strikes me is the variety of paths taken by people here in getting to the correct answer. The three clues were a help, or unnoticed, or maybe even a hindrance. The state names were noticed immediately, or not until the “three clues” were processed, or perhaps not at all. For me, FUN-NET-TIC was a big help, not only suggesting to look for phonetic state names, but also providing a template ___-___-___ for how each of the phonetic syllables of the answer are presented. For others, not helpful at all. Perhaps it is a sign of a very well-constructed meta that so many different paths are taken to the solution. Compliments to Mike – this meta (for me) really hit the spot in terms of design cleverness, difficulty and enjoyment.
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mikeB
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:50 pm

#394

Post by mikeB »

Gman wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 5:29 am My smallest of quibbles was that the title implied travel between the states, whereas the phonetic clues to the final answer were located between the sounds of individual states. So maybe INTRASTATE might have been a better title. Of course, SUPERHIGHWAYS don't stay in one state or they wouldn't be interstate highways. Given the giant rabbit hole of trying to tie the four state names together, I learned a lot about the I-70 and I-57. After a day of thinking that I must be an idiot, I applied the rule of, if there a lot of people on shore by Friday PM and you can't make a convoluted rabbit hole work, maybe you should look for a different rabbit. After 20 seconds, there it was, white and fluffy with a giant pink nose. It's amazing how these answers can hide in plain sight.
I, too, thought that "intra" might have been more appropriate for the title. Upon reflection, I also considered an alternative thought: Whereas "intrastate" might be a better fit for describing the individual syllables' placements in the grid, "interstate" does allude to the process of gluing the four syllables together to form the answer (i.e., travelling from state to state). In that sense, arguably either term would work. As to rabbit holes, mine was the several occurrences of state name abbreviations in the grid. My fix was to take a nap and come back refreshed to re-examine the meta. As I approached the bedroom, the thought struck me that I might have seen DELL and AWARE among the answers and needed to check that out and, if present, see how they're situated. Then, whoosh.
hoover
Posts: 1220
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:26 pm

#395

Post by hoover »

SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:53 am
RobM wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:43 am
Upstater wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:53 am How many other state clues could there be? I rather like AURA-GONE.
Limiting it to two-part clues, to fit the format of the puzzle:

MINI SODA
WHY HOMING
OGLE HOMER (a stretch, I admit)
MRS HIPPIE
FLORA DUH
LOUIE- SEA- ANNA
I'd go with WHEEZY ANNA to get it down to two words.
I love RobM's suggestion of MRS HIPPIE, although in some areas, MISS HIPPIE or MS HIPPIE would work as well.
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whimsy
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Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#396

Post by whimsy »

Yeah, I went postal before noticing what Della was wearing.

My home state -- ROE - DIAL - AND.

Happy Birthdays, Muggle Gal Pals!
Capturehappybirthday.PNG
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regfish7
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:52 pm
Location: South Carolina

#397

Post by regfish7 »

SReh26 wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:12 pm
regfish7 wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:25 pm I did make it ashore, just a late post! Hard grid but fun meta! Confused a person last night who asked why I was “taking notes” on my crossword puzzle haha.
So suspicious!! lol. Did your explanation help much?

That’s why I shred my meta notes. Half the time they look like insane draft ransom letters or a cryptography exercise. 😂 Our janitor and garbage collector may not recognize them for what they are.
😂 my notes look similar! I’m not sure my explanation helped much but I try make contest converts when I can!
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SReh26
Posts: 763
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:48 pm

#398

Post by SReh26 »

regfish7 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:22 pm
SReh26 wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:12 pm
regfish7 wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:25 pm I did make it ashore, just a late post! Hard grid but fun meta! Confused a person last night who asked why I was “taking notes” on my crossword puzzle haha.
So suspicious!! lol. Did your explanation help much?

That’s why I shred my meta notes. Half the time they look like insane draft ransom letters or a cryptography exercise. 😂 Our janitor and garbage collector may not recognize them for what they are.
😂 my notes look similar! I’m not sure my explanation helped much but I try make contest converts when I can!
So buddy, watcha doin?
What do you mean?
That little lady seems to think you‘re trouble.
Me!!?? How so!??
She says you’re taking notes on this joint! Whatsamatta..
No, no, it‘s crossword meta!
Meta who??
It‘s a puzzle. There’s a puzzle WITHIN the puzzle...
Sure there is!
No it‘s true, I‘m a Muggle!
A what?
A muggle- there are several thousand of us all over the country!
THAT‘s it! Eddie, get over here! Take care of this guy!
Nooooooo....!!
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sharkicicles
Posts: 798
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 12:03 pm
Location: Chicago

#399

Post by sharkicicles »

RichA2 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:40 am Is the word “superhighway,” meaning a limited access highway, still in common use? I can’t recall the last time I heard it. I usually just refer to the interstate (or to the freeway when I am in California). Even the early internet-era term “information superhighway” seems dated.

I suspect that only those of us born before the mid-1950s fully appreciate the changes that the superhighways brought about: the greatly reduced travel times between cities, the easier commutes from suburbs to downtowns, and the resulting dislocations in both urban and rural life. To those riding on the then-new (and often partially completed) interstates, free from the slowdowns caused by stoplights and small town main streets, the term “superhighway” seemed about right.
For some of us born in the 70s, superhighways mean super sprawl, super bumper to bumper traffic, and a super preference to just walk places. ;)

I got distracted this weekend and didn't manage to solve this one, even though i've lived in ILL ANNOY all my life.
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whimsy
Posts: 2716
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:51 am
Location: Hopkinton MA

#400

Post by whimsy »

SReh26 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:34 pm
regfish7 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:22 pm
SReh26 wrote: Sun Sep 05, 2021 10:12 pm

So suspicious!! lol. Did your explanation help much?

That’s why I shred my meta notes. Half the time they look like insane draft ransom letters or a cryptography exercise. 😂 Our janitor and garbage collector may not recognize them for what they are.
😂 my notes look similar! I’m not sure my explanation helped much but I try make contest converts when I can!
So buddy, watcha doin?
What do you mean?
That little lady seems to think you‘re trouble.
Me!!?? How so!??
She says you’re taking notes on this joint! Whatsamatta..
No, no, it‘s crossword meta!
Meta who??
It‘s a puzzle. There’s a puzzle WITHIN the puzzle...
Sure there is!
No it‘s true, I‘m a Muggle!
A what?
A muggle- there are several thousand of us all over the country!
THAT‘s it! Eddie, get over here! Take care of this guy!
Nooooooo....!!
Reminds me of the scene in Martini's in "Potterville." :P
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